Catalan Literature: Modernism to Post-War
Modernism
Poetry
Poets believed in pure poetry, emphasizing lyrical qualities and balanced form. Carles Riba, a key symbolist poet, explored themes of self and personal identity. Josep Vicenç Foix blended elements from various literary traditions.
Narrative
The Catalan novel was revived through two paths: the reappearance of Modernist narrators and the emergence of young, innovative storytellers. Modernist novels focused on the clash between individuals and society, and the marginalization of the elderly. Noucentisme novels delved into the inner world of characters using techniques like inner monologue and stream of consciousness, often drawing on Freudian theories. Laura in the City of Saints critiques bourgeois society with humor.
Theater
Three main theatrical currents existed: bourgeois theater (high comedy), socially critical theater (criticizing the bourgeoisie), and romantic theater. Josep Maria Segarra, the sole representative of the latter, wrote verse dramas and comedies with romantic elements, like Coffee Navy, which employed slogans, audio, and comparisons.
Post-War Literature
Overview
After World War II and the Allied victory, Franco’s authoritarian regime established a unitary vision of Spain. Around 1959, historical realism emerged.
Poetry
Poetry gained symbolic value. Important currents included realistic poetry (Salvador Espriu) and avant-garde/experimental poetry (Pere Quart, real name Joan Oliver). Oliver’s work, marked by leftist politics, bourgeois rejection, and colloquial language, can be divided into three phases: distancing from symbolist poetry, intimate exile, and mature historical realism.
Espriu’s Poetry
Salvador Espriu’s rich thematic work featured cultural and literary references, myths, and a symbolic, allegorical style. His two main themes were the human condition and Catalonia’s destiny, expressed through elegiac, satirical, and civil registers.
Narrative
Major trends included psychological analysis, traditional novels, and realist novels. Realist novels branched into testimonial realism (Joaquim Amat-Piniella), existentialist realism (Joan Sales), and mythic realism (Llorenç Villalonga). Villalonga’s Bearn or the Chamber of Dolls explores time and the human condition in a consumerist world.
Mercè Rodoreda
Exiled writer Mercè Rodoreda’s novels combined realism (specific settings), psychologism (inner worlds), symbolism (recurring motifs), and lyricism (colloquial language). Her female protagonists often conflicted with the world, exploring themes of difficult relationships and unhappiness. The Time of the Doves follows Natalie’s life through marriage, war, widowhood, and eventual happiness.
Manuel Pedrolo
A Republican soldier and concentration camp survivor, Pedrolo’s novels featured action, realism, and existentialism. His three stages included experimentation, social/cultural commitment, and later years.
Pere Calders
Exiled writer Pere Calders valued language, explored the conflict between reality and fantasy, and used humor as a literary device. Shock Units is one of his most important works.